Contact device for electric railways.



PATENTED SEPT. 1, 1903.

H. F. KELLOGG. CONTACT DEVICE FOR ELECTRIC RAILWAYS.

APPLICATION FILED 0OT.16. 1902.

NO MODEL.

fnvenaor' Jay 3.

UNTTED STATES Patented September 1, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

CONTACT DEVICE FOR ELECTRIC RAlLWAYS.

I SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 737,936, dated September 1, 1903.

Application filed October 15, 1902. Serial No. 127,328. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HENRY F. KELLOGG, a citizen of the United States, residing at WVellesley, in the county of Norfolk, State of Massachusetts, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Contact Devices for Electric Railways, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

A moving trolley or contact device, such as is now commonly used by electric street-railways, is objectionable for various reasons, among which is thesmall contact made with the wire, which frequently results in the destruction or impairment of the trolley.

My invention has forits object to provide a device by the employment of which as large a contact may be made with the conductor or trolley wire as is desired, thereby obviating the objections due to small contact, and While accomplishing this object also providing for the easy running of the device on the trolleywire.

The invention is fully set forth in the following description,in which reference is made to the accompanying drawings, and the novel features thereof are pointed out and clearly defined in the claims at the close of this specification.

In the drawings, Figure 1 shows in side view the end of a trolley pole or support with a contact device embodying my invention secured thereto, certain portions of the case being broken away and others shown in section to disclose more clearly the interior construction of the device. Fig. 2 is an end view of the device.

Having reference to the drawings, 1 is the end of the trolley pole or support, to which is fastened an end piece or trolley-harp 111, such as is commonly employed when a wheel is used. This is of the usual construction, as shown clearly in Figs. 1 and 2, and is provided with side contact-springs 112 and 113 for the conduction of the current and with a pin or axle 2, by means of which the contact device is secured in the trolleyharp. In practice I make my device to fit the standard trolley-harp.

3 designates a containing case, of metal, of nearly semicircular shape, said case comprising substantially a rim or band 4 and side pieces 5, one on each side thereof, all preferably cast integral. The said side pieces 5 are provided with a hole at 6 for the reception of the pin 2, heretofore referred to. At the lower central portion of the rim 4 a hole or other means 7 is provided for the purpose of securing the usual trolley-rope 8 for use in replacing the trolley when it leaves the trolleywire.

In the upper portion of the case 3 and extending from front to rear thereof I secure a pin or rod 9, which passes through suitable holes at the opposite sides of the said case and may be secured therein in any Well-known manner. I On the pin 9 I place two or more contact-pieces 10, which for this purpose are provided with a hole to receive the said pin 9. These contact-pieces are of the shape in end view shown in Fig. 2that is, they are of substantially wedge shape with a recess or groove 12 at the upper portion or thick end of the wedge, the said groove receiving the conductor or trolley-wire when the trolley is in contact therewith. The hole 11 in each of these contact-pieces through which the rod 1 9 passes is near the lower or thin end of the said contact-pieces, as will be clear from Fig.

2. The upper ends of the said contact-pieces project above the top 13 of the case. The Width of that portion of the contact-pieces which extends downwardly into the upper portion of the case (see Fig. 2) is less than the width of the interior of the case, and the said contact-pieces are held in an upright position by the springs 14, which are fastened at their upper ends at 15 to the inside of the case and project downwardly and incline inwardly until they bear against the contactpieces near the lower ends thereof when the latter are in an upright position, all as will be clear from Fig. 2. The springs 14 project downwardly below the lower ends of the said piece to accommodate itself to the trolleywire. The said springs also serve to conduct the current, which might otherwise overheat or burn out the supporting-rod 9 when heavy currents are used. In practice I have used phosphor-bronze for these springs, the said material being particularly well adapted to these conditions. The end contact-piecesthat is, those which are at each end of the caseare shouldered, as shown at 16, said shoulder projecting over the end of the case, so that as the contact-piece moves along the Wire and passes over a joint or other enlargement the said enlargement will not come in contact with the case, but only with the contact-piece. The end contact-pieces are also rounded at their corners, and the bottoms of the grooves therein are curved, as at 17, to facilitate the passage of the contact along the trolley wire at joints or enlargements formed by ears or the like.

The rounded form of the case is provided, so that should the trolley leave the wirev it will on coming in contact with cross-wires or other portions of the overhead construction ,turn over-that is, the rounded portion will then be uppermost and will permit the trolley to pass the obstruction in much the same way thata wheel would pass it,in this way avoiding injury to the overhead construction. When the trolley has turned over, but has passed the obstruction which caused it to turn over, the pull on the trolley-rope attached to the case will cause it to resume immediately its upright or normal position. When the ,contact device is in position on theunder side of the conductor, the upward pressure of the trolley-arm and the fiat bearing-su rface of the contact device will serve to hold it in its normal or upright position.

I claim as my invention- 1.. A trolley device for electric railways comprising a plurality of contact-pieces each independently laterally movable, and suitable means for supporting the said contact-pieces in contact with the conductor, substantially as described.

2. A trolley device for electric railways comprising a plurality of contact-pieces each independently laterally movable, electrical spring connections therefor, and suitable means for supporting the said contact-pieces in contact with the conductor,substantially as described.

3. A trolley device for electric railways com prising a plurality of laterally-movable contact-pieces; a case pivotally connected with the trolley-harp, adapted to carry the said contact-pieces, and having a rounded back to admit of rotation upon its pivot; and suitable means to support the said device in contact with the conductor.

4:. A trolley device for electric railways comprising a group of grooved contact-pieces each independently laterally movable, the groove at the outer or free end of the outside or end contact-pieces being deepened or rounded, and suitable means to support the said contact-pieces in contact with the conductor, substantially as described.

5. In a trolley device for electric railways the combination of a plurality of movable coutact-pieces, a containing-case therefor, a longitudinal rod in said case on which said contact-pieces are pivoted, and means for yieldingly maintaining said contact-pieces in normal position, substantially as described.

6. In a trolley device for electric railways the combination of a plurality of movable contact-pieces, a containing-case therefor, a lon gitudinal rod in said case on which said contact-pieces are pivoted, and springs intermediate the case and each of the contact-pieces, said springs being normally in contact with both the case and the contact-piece, for yieldingly maintaining said contact-pieces in normal position, substantially as described.

'7. In a trolley device for electric railways, the co mbin ation of a plurality of movable contact-pieces, a containing-case therefor rounded at the side opposite the contact to admit of rotation upon its pivot in the trolley-harp, a longitudinal rod in said case on which said contact-pieces are pivoted, and springs intermediate the case and each of the contactpieces, said springs being normally in contact with both the case and the contact-piece, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HENRY F. KELLOGG.

Witnesses:

GEORGE P. DIKE, ALICE H. MORRISON. 

